Sunday, October 30, 2016

Unusual weather for end of October.
It has been over 80 degrees for over a week.
End of week prediction of rain and cooler and hoping so.

Fall color is just beginning in my woods.

A year ago a friend shared 3 Iris bulbs, each a different color that bloom several times a year
and this is the first with a second bloom in almost November. Three more big buds to open soon.

Time for second meal
and do not feel like eating anything. While herbs are still hardy
thinking of tomato basil soup with a toasted cheese sandwich with a side
of some black bean chips I discovered and spinach artichoke dip.

Hearty breakfast with an addition of Bok Choy and Portobello Mushrooms to my
scrambled egg and slice of bacon.

Wish my arthritis did not cause such pain and difficulty in walking at this moment.
But then up 8 hours
but need to keep moving and hopefully never fall again.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

My bed back to normal and looks like over the past 42 years.
The last two weeks felt like I was sleeping on the floor
and almost impossible to use swifter under the bed for dusting

Plan on using step stool with handle if needed to make it easier to get in and out of bed.
Saw this at doctor's office and found on Amazon
not expensive and ordered it.
Have been using in kitchen for high cabinets and now found another use.

A favorite recipe
made early yesterday morning.
A special friend shared 2 years ago and have been making frequently since that time.

Blueberry Bread but I add a handful of Cranberries and call it Blueberry Cranberry Bread

1/2 cup of butter softened ---- I usually put out the night before in mixing bowl
8 oz of cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups of sugar
4 eggs
1 and 1/2 cups of flour
1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 and 1/2 tsp salt
1 and 3/4 cups of blueberries
and I use 1/2 cup of cranberries (like the color :) toss in 1 TBS flour and 2 TBS sugar
and I sometimes add a few more blueberries :)

Preheat oven to 350 - combine butter, cream cheese, vanilla and sugar - beat until fluffy.
Add eggs and then flour, baking powder, salt and mix well.
Then fold in blueberries and cranberries. Bake in well greased loaf pan (2 large and I use
3 smaller that I have had for over 50 years or some use bundt pan.
My stove takes 50 minutes.
While cake cooling mix and pour over cake or cakes.
Let cool thoroughly before removing from pans.

Make this delicious cake often. So good.

Have posted in the past
and for me easier to share again then looking up that post and copying

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Need rain
so dry
and uneasy about something causing a fire in the woods.

Once again early this morning
baked blueberry, cranberry bread
they are going to special ones I am enjoying one with tea.
Have always shared recipes on my journal
but sad
in the beginning 8 years ago
did not put under a special recipe heading
if anyone would like I can look up the posting and share.

Old mouse pad so frayed
and not working well
ordered a new one from Amazon.
Like the colored back ground with the tree.

Vitamin B injection yesterday
suggested from oncologist 3 months ago
and was given, at that noticed no improvement on anything.
May be my imagination but seemed more energetic today
do not want to feel like super woman
but also seemed calmer
and cramps in legs and feet
frequently experienced
did not happen last night,

Shots suggested every few weeks for a while to see if they help,
research showed many advantages
helping energy, sleep, balance and calmness
hope they work..

Also have asked
helper to raise bed to its original heigth
since I feel like I am sleeping on the floor
and cannot use fitted sheets as no room the way the bed is now lowered
and a 8 inch rail surrounding bed prevents this
Also this clean one finds it difficult to use swifter under bed.

Will see if this 5 ft 2 frame can continue to just slide out of bed :) safely.

Wondered about something today
is saying Thank You and writing notes becoming a lost art.
Now my children taught and do this and grandchildren do this also
but many in my past year would bake for them do other small things
and never a thank you.
I should not even mention since when you do something for someone
you should not expect a thank you
just thought it was good manners...

Enough on this subject
but always so thankful for all that has ever been done for me
and now so many kind things being done
and so thankful and always tell the giver..

Monday, October 24, 2016

This one has not baked for almost a year and it was wonderful to bake banana bread early this morning. This recipe is way over a hundred years old, shared with me by a well loved aunt
who would be over 100 if living.

To make it easier
all that was possible was put out last night,
After getting up at 5:30, doing my usual straightening in cottage and even before yoga and
breakfast this bread was made.

Yoga and just 15 to 30 minutes now and in the past 1 hour.
Made 1/2 gallon of sweet tea and then on to preparing breakfast.
2 small waffles covered with sweet cherries, blueberries, 1/2 banana and pot of hot green tea.

So then clean us time and seems so late at 10:00 as schedule not like it use to be with everything
done slower.

Beautiful weather continues, cool nights and pleasant days and rain is needed.

Yesterday evening as I look out the big window in front the deer are arriving. I smile
at 1/2 dozen young ones and 2 mothers. They stand and look at this cottage, would love
to take their image but if I move to pick up camera they seem to sense it and run.

Daughter in Spain arriving home end of week, her calls are missed but many pictures
shared on this computer.

Seems our youngest has healed from broken arm :)
Could not download image from her mom's instagram showing her climbing a
high wire fence :)

Plan in the morning of making blueberry cranberry bread, want to freeze some of what I
bake, so nice to have on hand.

Saturday, October 22, 2016

Busy week, trying to learn about new camera with 25 zoom,
television just stopped, rarely watch , do like local morning news. Purchased a new one and help installed
Left door to screen porch open for a minute earlier in the week
and a bird in the house for several days, finally caught in a net and know it was thankful and
also this one.

Then and Now
my youngest granddaughter
who is a carbon copy of my youngest daughter
Jamie is now cheer leading.

and her sister playing soccer. At end of season this year she suffered a concussion :(
now fine and the younger one who broke her arm is now fine :)

Time
you are going by
so quickly....

My bed is very high
and now at night somewhat
difficult to get out of,
ordered a metal frame from Amazon
a lot of good comments,
it lowers mattress and box springs
and it was installed yesterday.
Will have to get use to it as bed now 6 to 8 inches lower
and I feel like practically on floor :)
If I do not adjust to this
will just go back to the higher bed...

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Callie watches from a safe distance as one young granddaughter practises her driving skills on this
property.

Weather continues to be beautiful..

A quote on my son's birthday card

"All I can be is who I am right now, I can experience that and work with it.
That's all I can do. The rest is the dream of the ego" C.J. Beck

"A simple life can bring a lot of happiness" Thich Nhat Hanh
and I will add
this is all I want....

Handwritten notes from my 2 youngest granddaughter's make me smile
and especially when the youngest shares my talents, loves me to the moon and back
and says at the end "you are extremely lovely."
Now how can you top this as I travel my 80.s

A lot of organizing being done, desk is piled high with papers and trying to organize closet.

Something keeps telling me
it is going to be a bad Winter.
so enjoying these wonderful days....

Friday, October 7, 2016

So nice to have my Laurie (my first born) visit for a few days
and Callie followed her everywhere :)
She walks 3 times a day in this rural country setting...

A quick return to Florida
because of storms.

A wonderful time while she was here
just wish it had been longer.
She took me everywhere on my wish list.
A trip to Nashville, eating out, dentist, doctor appointments,
two places we did not make...

Visit to orthopaedic doctor for cortisone shot in both shoulders
This procedure was started 2 years ago with a very low dose every 6 months, now
higher dose and recommended every 3 months for the severe pain
in shoulders and neck.

Within 2 hours and now 2 days later
no pain in that area.
Will see how long it gives this relief.
A must at this time, tried a new pain relief pill, could not take, cannot feel medicated.

Camera has stopped working
just ordered anther one on Amazon.
Simple Kodak, many excellent review
and good price.

Hope I like it,
A must
my computer and camera :)

Sunday, October 9th
another birthday
and expecting rest of family.
Wish Laurie and her family
and my Jimmy
were here.

Cooler weather expected
and maybe we can burn a fire in the outside pit....

Soybean field in front cut
grass boy just cut around the edges
looks so good
wish it would stay this way.

Saturday, October 1, 2016

This week received results from MRI
seems complete tear of the rotator cuff
with retraction of ligaments.
So this explains why so much pain in shoulders and neck.
Could be it just wore out. This one never learned to not do things
that really were too difficult for her.
This and bad fall 4 weeks ago might have finished the rotator cuff....

It is what it is and no option for surgery at this stage of life.
Told really painful and long recovery.
Home therapy helps tremendously
and will just do all I can do and know to do and go onward with life....

Weary of sharing this and will stop :)

Family arriving tomorrow for visit and special oldest daughter with me
for most of the week. Everyday plans and looking forward to the outings.
A 4 layer Carrot Cake and Pumpkin Roll is waiting for them if they want to sample.
Seems baking may be over with such a useless right arm at this time.
Always believed in miracles and maybe I can still eventually bake.

I did not need computer problems, but it happened.
Computer down and all most lost it with Verizon.
First two technical assistants just left me, not knowing what to do.
then finally late yesterday and I had vowed to wait a few more days but the problem solved by a young woman who
had me back on line in 45 minutes.

About Me

This Journal is being written for my pleasure, my children and my grandchildren. Sharing some of my past, present and thoughts for future. It is the Journal of a sensitive soul who has entered her 8th decade. My life journey has taken me down a lot of roads with many twists and turns. It's not the journey that I would have visualized at the age of 25 when a third child was on the horizon. I love the warmth of the sun, sound of rain, a crackling fire, simplicity and elegance. Find pleasure in sitting on my porch with tea in a china cup and digging in the earth. I am more myself at this time of life than ever before. A considerable part of my past was in the business world, multi tasking and being super organized. Today I am trying to simplify and be more mindful. Also learning about this journey through aging and Sjogren's Syndrome.
It is not as easy as I thought, even though I have a lot of solitude at this time of life. My days fly by and I do not think I have enough time left on earth to do and experience all that is the desire of my heart.
One thing I am sure of is that I could not make it on this journey without my daily prayer and meditating time.